DAVE MATHEWS BIOGRAPHY

Dave Matthews is a South African vocalist/guitarist who formed a live band in early 90s with a strange assortment of guitar, saxophone (Leoir Moore), violin (Boyd Tinsley), drums (Carter Beauford) and bass (Stefan Lessard). Drummer Carter Beauford and saxophonist LeRoi Moore were both accomplished jazz musicians in the local Charlottesville music panorama. The band�s music perfectly presented a more pop-oriented edition of the Grateful Dead crossed with the world beat explorations of Paul Simon and Sting. The band initially toured the country and successfully built an extensive following. Matthews formed a band in Charlottesville, Virginia, when he decided to put some songs composed by him on the tape.

Matthews�s first professional musical performance was at a modern dance performance by the Miki Liszt Dance Company. He sang "Sensitive Feelings," composed by John D'earth and Dawn Thompson. After penning down his own lines, Matthews formed his own band. The band�s self-released album Remember Two Things sold at the incredible rate of 10,000 units monthly. There was no airplay and the album was independent. The album sold enough to even be certified gold by the RIAA. The popularity of the album was such that the band certainly caught the attention of majors. The sales of Remember Two Things lead to a record deal with RCA, and the band released its major label debut Under The Table and Dreaming in 1994. the record featured the hit single "What Would You Say" and sold more than million copies. A year and a half after, the record had sold over four million copies in the U.S. alone. The album eventually became certified four times platinum by the RIAA. Despite the success the band retained its modesty. The band�s second RCA release, Crash, debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 chart and was eventually nominated for two Grammy Awards. It was almost creepy album that leaned towards rhythm'n'blues while incorporate even more instruments. Dave Matthews released an official, double-disc live album, Live at Red Rocks 8.15.95, in 1997. The album brought them an unexpected success and gave them an immense popularity. The band released this album without any marketing or promotion, still it managed to reach number three on the Billboard 200 chart and was quickly certified platinum. In April 1998, the band released Before These Crowded Streets. It has been credited the group's most ambitious album to date. The album debuted at the top of the American charts and Don't Drink The Water was a successful hit single. The success of the album marked the start of an intense year-and-a-half cross-country tour of the band.

The band�s another live album; Listener released in 2000 accentuated the funk element of the compositions. The band�s follow-up album Everyday released on February 27, 2001. Matthews released a solo album in 2003 �Some Devil�, which went platinum and its single hit "Gravedigger," won a Grammy Award in 2004.